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Month: November 2018

The diamondback moth (DBM) is the most destructive pest of cabbage and other vegetables worldwide, and one of the planet’s worst agricultural pests, wreaking billions of dollars’ worth of havoc for growers annually. From causing major problems for the Australian canola industry in recent years to causing a short supply of Brussels sprouts in the U.K. to becoming increasingly tough to control in the U.S., the DBM has growers globally concerned.

Caterpillars eat many small holes in the leaves of the host plants, often leaving the leaf outermost layer of cells intact, making a ‘feeding window’. Most damage is caused by the caterpillars tunneling into the heads of plants such as cabbage and Brussels sprouts.

The DBM’s are extremely efficient at developing resistance to all classes of insecticides, and are highly dispersive and adaptive to new environments, making epidemics of the pest unpredictable. Resistance developed towards the insecticides and the lack of natural enemies are believed to be the reasons why DBM is increasingly hard to control.

The total worldwide estimate for DBM management is $4 billion to $5 billion dollars annually, and economic losses of around $1 billion annually in the U.S.

A ‘biblical’ explosion of moths could wipe out cabbage and cauliflower crops in Britain

By Colin Fernandez for The Daily Mail | June 14, 2016

A ‘biblical plague’ of voracious moths from continental Europe have arrived in the UK this week.

Diamondback moths – which are arriving on British shores – have arrived in their tens of millions in the past few days with more expected.

The numbers of the ‘super pest’ insect – are 100 times higher than in previous years – and are expected to have a devastating effect on cabbages and other vegetables.

Once the bugs lay their eggs, the eggs take around four or five days and the moths’ larvae chew through their leaves – leaving just the veins.

The presence of diamondback moths increasing in Alberta

By Diego Flammini│Farms.com │ August 3, 2017

The current infestations of diamondback moths across parts of Alberta aren’t what Scott Meers, insect management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, is used to seeing.

“It’s an outbreak I don’t think we’ve ever seen before,” he told Call of the Land today. “At least not in my 30 years with Alberta Agriculture.”

Resistance to synthetic pyrethroid insecticides has been detected in populations of diamondback moth. The brassica growers have had difficulty in controlling the caterpillars of diamondback moth and have experienced insecticide control failures. In extreme cases, damaged crops have been plowed in and produce has been unmarketable.

Why rely on such toxic remedies to combat the diamondback moths menace?

Termirepel™ is an extremely low concern, low toxic, low hazard, non-carcinogenic and non-mutagenic insect aversive. It does not kill or cause harm to insects as well as to the environment which indirectly helps to maintain the ecological balance.

Termirepel™is available in the form of the masterbatch, which can be incorporated into the polymeric applications like pipes, agriculture mulch films, floating row covers, greenhouse films etc. used for crop cultivation purpose, etc.

Agriculture mulch films Floating row covers

The product available in the form of liquid concentrate can be mixed in paints in a predetermined ratio and be applied on the fences in the fields and farms to keep the diamondback moths away from these places.

Our product in the lacquer form can be applied topically on the applications. The lacquer is compatible with most of the surfaces like wood, concrete, metal, polymer, ceramic, etc. The lacquer can be applied on the already installed pipes in the fields or garden, fences around farms and garden, thus protecting it from damage.

The product is also effective against other pests thus protecting the plants from other pest attacks.

Termirepel™ is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil. It is RoHS, RoHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA, EU BPR compliant and FIFRA exempted.

Termites have special enzymes, protozoa and bacteria in their guts that allow them to digest cellulose. Cellulose is the organic fibrous material in wood and plants. Sound delicious?

The termite colonies can range from a few thousand individuals to several million, depending on their species. There is a complex set of roles and hierarchy to a termite colony, which includes a queen who lays eggs, workers who do all the hard labor, and nymphs or immature termites who have lighter duties but still work in the colony.

Subterranean termites, also known as ground termites, live underground in groups or colonies. Their main source of food is wood, and they will tunnel underground up to 150 feet (45.7 meters) to find it. Mud tubesalong walls, baseboards, or in cracks and crevices indicate subterranean termites. Drywood termites live above ground, preferring to make their homes inside wood and trees. They don’t need moisture in their nests and instead get it from humidity in the air. Piles of cereal grains of sandappearing mysteriously are likely drywood termite fecal pellets. Dampwood termites like to build their colonies in damp, decaying wood, as their name implies. Formosan termites are considered the most destructive of all termite types. These pests arrived in the United States from mainland China via Taiwan, entering the country through various port cities.

Although termites are ecologically beneficial in that they break down detritus to add nutrients to the soil, the same feeding behaviours that prove helpful to the ecosystem can cause severe damage to human homes. Because termites feed primarily on wood, they can compromise the strength and safety of an infested structure. Termite damage can make structures unlivable until expensive repairs are conducted.

In an average year, termites are responsible for $1 billion to $2 billion in property damage. Most of this damage is not covered by standard homeowner insurance policies. Termite infestations commonly go undetected until obvious signs of damage occur.

THE HUNGRY TERMITES HAVE EATEN AN ENTIRE VILLAGE IN EGYPT

Magictr, The Silver Post | November 14, 2018

According to local media, from one village on the banks of the Nile almost nothing left: the termites completely ate right through the material of which was erected houses and buildings. Traditionally, buildings were built of palm wood and leaves, and this is a real treat for insects.

Many people live under the open sky, so as to be in dilapidated houses in fear, but to build a new home or to move to another village not. Local authorities declared a state of emergency near Aswan and Luxor.

Scientists at the University of Florida have confirmed the Asian and Formosan subterranean termites – both formidable non-native species — are mating in South Florida’s neighborhoods.

In an article published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed online journal PLOS ONE, they say the offspring of these species thrive by combining the strongest qualities of their parents. The two species are considered particularly damaging and difficult to control, since they travel underground and burrow up through buildings.

Lambari in Uttarakhand’s Almora district may soon turn into a ghost village.

Termites have struck terror into this small village located in the Kumaon Hills. On quiet nights, the sound of the insects chewing up wood bit by bit creates restlessness among the villagers.

Such is the gravity of the termite menace that villagers are gradually migrating from Lambari.

The pests have slowly but steadily eaten into the villagers’ houses, and visitors are greeted by the sight of more than 15 abandoned homes in Lambari.

The humid weather costing homeowners thousands – but one pest is loving it

7News / February 6, 2018

Humid weather in Queensland is proving to be a bit of a pest – and providing ideal conditions for another kind of pest.

Pest controllers are battling termite infestations across southeast Queensland, with the tiny insects chewing through houses and costing home owners a fortune in repairs.

Andy Deyney first discovered one of his Gold Coast properties was under attack, with termites gaining a beachhead in the bathroom.

The house needed a major renovations, with costs running into the tens of thousands of dollars.

To get the solution, why not we opt for the low hazard, low-toxic and eco- friendly products provided by C Tech Corporation.

Termirepel™ an anti-termite, anti-insect additive, a C Tech Corporation product is an ideal solution for the prevention and control of termite infestation. The masterbatch of Termirepel™ can be incorporated in wires and cables which are used in domestic wiring. Termirepel™ liquid concentrate which can be mixed in paints and can be applied to damaged applications, interior and exterior of structures, etc.

While Termirepel™ lacquer can be used as a topical application which can be applied to furniture, walls, ceilings etc. It follows 6 pronged strategies which are extremely effective on weevils as well as insects like ants, beetles, grasshopper, termites, etc.

Termirepel™ is a low toxic and low hazard anti-insect additive. It is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It does not volatilize and does not degrade the soil.

The newly developed TermirepelTM insect repellent spray is an easy to use product which can be sprayed by anyone on any surface. It works against termites and a broad spectrum of insects.

Crazy ants are different from any other type of ant. In fact, they’re actually deadly than fire ants crazy ants have potent venom that can knock down fire ants instantly. They are also known as the hairy crazy ant, raspberry crazy ant, and the Caribbean crazy ant.

Originating from the Southeast regions of US, these extraordinary ants are one of the weirdest species in the ant world. Their existence is not only a nightmare to humans but they also pose mortal dangers to other ant species as well. They earn the term “Crazy” because they are invasive, have a strange and unique appetite and also are suicidal!

The crazy ants can have multiple queens within one colony. Some colonies have up to 100 queens in them. Their reproduction is much faster than the other ant species!

Though the crazy ant threat to electronics has not been lost on the tech media, the insects are probably more a threat to your air conditioner than they are to your phones. The ants are more likely to get into fixed equipment, house wiring, and even vehicles.”

Crazy Ants crave for something electronic other than the normal sweet stuff. They like to chew through electronic cables, components, and any electrical circuitry. The craziest part is that they love to kill themselves when they eat into the live electric wiring! And, as they get fried, they emit a chemical that summons their friends to the same spot (or their dead spot) to avenge their death! All in all, your computers, TVs and mobile phones are no longer safe once a swarm of these ants attacks them. One can find crazy ants in areas where moisture is prevalent. Any debris, landscape timbers, firewood, and leaf piles can attract them.

Let us have a look at some of the news article.

Crazy ants’ a threat in the southern U.S.May 19, 2013

Researchers at the University of Texas are warning that the invasive species from South America has the potential to change the ecological balance in the southeastern United States, largely because the ants can wipe out colonies of what’s been widely considered the insect villain of the region, the fire ant.

The crazy ants, officially called “Tawny crazy ants,” are omnivores that can take over an area by both killing what’s there and starving out what they don’t kill, said Ed LeBrun, a research associate with the Texas invasive species research program at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory in the College of Natural Sciences.

“Perhaps the biggest deal is the displacement of the fire ant, which is the 300-pound gorilla in Texas ecosystems these days,” LeBrun said in a press release. “The whole system has changed around fire ants. Things that can’t tolerate fire ants are gone. Many that can have flourished. New things have come in. Now we are going to go through and whack the fire ants and put something in its place that has a very different biology. There are going to be a lot of changes that come from that.”

Beyond the troubles they cause for the environment, the crazy ants can be a big headache for people because their populations are so dense, LeBrun said.

The crazy ant’s nest in walls, crawl spaces, house plants or empty containers in the yard, researchers said.

“If people living in or visiting invaded areas are careful and check for the crazy ants when moving or going on longer trips, they could have a huge impact on the spread,” LeBrun said.

Invasive crazy ants disrupt pollination in pumpkinOCTOBER 07, 2017

There is yet another reason to be worried about invasive yellow crazy ants — these aggressive predators of native fauna also disrupt pollination in pumpkin plants causing crop loss finds a recent study published in the journal Biological Invasions. This is the first time that this has been recorded in any plant.

Pollination is vital for fruit formation. However, in the traditionally bee-pollinated pumpkin patches of northern Kerala’s Kasargod district, farmers now hand-pollinate their pumpkin patches, complaining of crop loss otherwise. Scientists at the Central University of Kerala decided to investigate why pumpkin pollinators here were failing.

Pumpkin plants produce separate male and female flowers. Watching pollinators visit 128 female and 112 flowers across 18 pumpkin patches, the team found that honey bees — the main pollinators of pumpkin here — visited female flowers more than they did male ones. “That’s because female flowers produce a better quantity and quality of nectar,” says scientist Sinu P. A., who led the study.

Since bees needed both pollen (a protein and nutrient-rich food for their brood) and nectar, they flew between male and female flowers, facilitating pollination. Crazy ants, however, feasted only on the nectar of female flowers across 15 of the 18 pumpkin patches they surveyed.

These results could have larger implications, not just for India’s pumpkin farmers — who cultivate pumpkin across 47,000 hectares and produce up to 10.31 metric tonnes annually — but other crop cultivators too.

Conventional insecticides have proven to be a failed solution to give effective results. These insecticides are toxic in nature. They kill target as well as nontarget species. They are also hazardous to human health. Moreover, species like crazy ants are not at all affected by the toxic effects of these insecticides.

It is an environmentally safe product that works by repelling the insects without causing any harm to the target or non-target species. Termirepel™ is available in form of a solid masterbatch which can be safely incorporated into the PVC insulation of wires and cables while manufacturing or coated on surfaces to keep crazy ants away from the application.

Termirepel™ is available in the form of liquid concentrate and lacquer which can be easily blended with paints and organic solvents and can be applied to already installed wires and cables, sockets, electric board etc.

Our newly developed product in the form of a spray can be applied to already installed wires and cables, it is compatible with all types of surface and can be sprayed by anyone